Table of Contents

Introduction xii

What Will You Get From Doing This Course? xii

Description of the course
Aim of the course
Objectives of the course

How Will You Get The Most From This Course? xii
Course Materials
Course Topics
Course Map
Organisation of Course Content

How Will You Be Assessed? xviii

Assessment Format
What Support Will You Get In Studying The Course?
Seminars
myINSPIRE Online Discussion
Facilitator
Library Resources
Learner Connexxions

How Should You Study For This Course? xix

Time commitments for study
Proposed study strategy

Final Remarks xx

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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to HMEF5073 Curriculum Development which is one of the required
courses for the Master of Education (MEd) programme. The course assumes no
previous knowledge and experience in curriculum development, you are
encouraged to tap into your experiences as a teacher, instructor, lecturer or
trainer and relate them to the concepts and principles discussed. This is a 3 credit
course conducted over a semester of 14 weeks.

WHAT WILL YOU GET FROM DOING THIS COURSE?

DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE

Educators are often faced with the task of conceptualising and developing
different types of curriculum for various levels of education. An understanding
of the development process would be useful for those involved in such activities.
The course explores the various definitions of curriculum, followed by a
discussion on how philosophical beliefs, psychological perspectives, societal
demands and the legacy of history impact the curriculum. Next, the curriculum
development process is discussed with particular emphasis on curriculum
planning, curriculum design, curriculum implementation and curriculum
evaluation. Finally, the course focuses on the issues and future trends in
curriculum development in the context of today's dynamic society.

AIM OF THE COURSE

The main aim of the course is to give you a foundation on the principles and
theories of the curriculum development process and application of the
knowledge and skills gained in analysing and developing curriculum projects.

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
1. Compare the various definitions of curriculum;
2. Explain how philosophy, psychology, history and society impact curriculum;
3. Describe the phases of the curriculum development process, namely
planning, design, implementation and evaluation;
4. Evaluate the issues in curriculum development;
5. Apply curriculum concepts, principles and theories to real-world curriculum
projects; and
6. Demonstrate the ability to communicate ideas in written form.

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HOW WILL YOU GET THE MOST FROM THIS COURSE?

COURSE MATERIALS
In this course you are provided with a Learning Package consisting of THREE
kinds of course materials:
1. The Course Guide, which you are currently reading;
2. The Course Content (consisting of 10 topics); and
3. The Course Assignment Guide (which describes the assignments to be
submitted and the examinations you have to sit for).

Please ensure that you have all of these materials.

COURSE TOPICS
To enable you to achieve the SIX objectives of the course, HMEF5073 is divided
into 10 topics (see Course Map and Table). Specific objectives are stated at the
start of each topic indicating what you should be able to do after completing the
topic.

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COURSE MAP

Topic Title Week of Work

1 What is curriculum? 1
2 Philosophical foundations of curriculum 2
3 Psychological foundations of curriculum 3
4 Societal and historical foundations of 4
curriculum
5 Curriculum development process 5-6
6 Curriculum design 7-8
7 Curriculum implementation 9-10
8 Curriculum evaluation 11-12
9 Curriculum issues and trends 13
10 Curriculum in Malaysia 14

Topic 1: What is Curriculum?

The topic examines different definitions of curriculum, what is the hidden
curriculum, approaches in viewing curriculum and a brief introduction to the
curriculum development process.

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Topic 2: Philosophical Foundations of Curriculum

The topic analyses four main philosophical beliefs (perennialism, essentialism,
progressivism and reconstructionism) and how they influence curriculum.

Topic 3: Psychological Foundations of Curriculum

This topic evaluates four psychological perspectives (behaviourism, cognitivism,
humanism and constructivism) and how they influence curriculum.

Topic 4: Societal and Historical Foundations of Curriculum

The topic explores how societal forces and demands (culture, work, technology
and globalisation) influence curriculum. The curriculum of the United States and
Japan are examined to show how curriculum has changed over time.

Topic 5: Curriculum Planning

The topic compares the curriculum development models of Tyler, Taba,
Alexander and Saylor, and the tasks involved at different levels of curriculum
planning.

Topic 6: Curriculum Design

The topic examines the criteria for content selection (significance, utility,
learnability, feasibility and utility), the principles of content organisation
(sequence, scope, integration and balance) and models of curriculum design
(subject-matter, learner-centred and problem-centred).

Topic 7: Curriculum Implementation

The topic discusses curriculum implementation as a change process, the
categories of curriculum change, the resistance to change, why people resist
change and the role and responsibilities of people involved in curriculum
implementation.

Topic 8: Curriculum Evaluation

The topic compares three curriculum evaluation models (CIPP, Stakes
Countenance model and Eisner's Connoisseurship model) and the techniques of
data collection for decision making.

Topic 9: Curriculum Issues and Trends

The topic critically evaluates different curriculum issues such as the impact of
globalisation, the knowledge economy, national unity and citizenship education.
Also suggested are possible scenarios of the future in determining the
curriculum.

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Topic 10: Curriculum in Malaysia

The topic traces the history of the Malaysian education system from colonial
times until today. Focus is on how school curriculum has changed over time and
the philosophical, psychological, societal and political forces affecting curriculum
decisions.

TEXT ARRANGEMENT GUIDE

In distance learning, the module replaces the university lecturer. This is one of
the main advantages of distance learning where specially designed study allows
you to study at your own pace, anywhere and at anytime. Think of it as reading
the lecture instead of listening to a lecturer. In the same way that a lecturer might
assign something for you to read or do, the module tells you what to read, when
to read and when to do the activities. Just as a lecturer might ask you questions
in class, your module provides exercises for you to do at appropriate points.

To help you read and understand the individual topics, numerous realistic
examples support all definitions, concepts and theories. Diagrams and text are
combined to make the material visually appealing and easy-to-read. Throughout
the learning package, diagrams, illustrations and tables are used to reinforce
important points and simplify the more complex concepts. The module has
adopted the following features in each topic:

Self-Check: This component of the module is inserted at strategic locations

throughout the module. It may be inserted after one sub-section or a few sub-
sections. It usually comes in the form of a question. When you come across this
component, try to reflect on what you have already learnt thus far. By attempting
to answer the question, you should be able to gauge how well you have
understood the sub-section(s). Most of the time, the answers to the questions can
be found directly from the module itself.

Activity: Like Self-Check, the Activity component is also placed at various

locations or junctures throughout the module. This component may require you
to solve questions, explore short case studies, or conduct an observation or
research. It may even require you to evaluate a given scenario. When you come
across an Activity, you should try to reflect on what you have gathered from the
module and apply it to real situations. You should, at the same time, engage
yourself in higher order thinking where you might be required to analyse,
synthesise and evaluate instead of only having to recall and define.

Summary: You will find this component at the end of each topic. This component
helps you to recap the whole topic. By going through the summary, you should
be able to gauge your knowledge retention level. Should you find points in the
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summary that you do not fully understand, it would be a good idea for you to
revisit the details in the module.

Key Terms: This component can be found at the end of each topic. You should go
through this component to remind yourself of important terms or jargon used
throughout the module. Should you find terms here that you are not able to
explain, you should look for the terms in the module.

References: The References section is where a list of relevant and useful

textbooks, journals, articles, electronic contents or sources can be found. The list
can appear in a few locations such as in the Course Guide (at the References
section), at the end of every topic or at the back of the module. You are
encouraged to read or refer to the suggested sources to obtain the additional
information needed and to enhance your overall understanding of the course.

Discussion Questions: At the end of each topic a list of articles and topics of
books is provided that is directly related to the contents of the topic. As far as
possible the articles and books suggested for further reading will be available in
OUM's Digital Library which you can access and OUM's Library. Also, relevant
internet resources are made available to enhance your understanding of selected
curriculum concepts and principles as applied in real-world situations.

References: At the end of each topic a list of articles and topics of books is
provided that is directly related to the contents of the topic. As far as possible the
articles and books suggested for further reading will be available in oum's digital
library which you can access and oum's library. Also, relevant internet resources
are made available to enhance your understanding of selected curriculum
concepts and principles as applied in real-world situations.

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HOW WILL YOU BE ASSESSED?

Please refer to myINSPIRE.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL YOU GET IN STUDYING THE

COURSE?

SEMINARS
There are 15 hours of seminars provided in support of the course. There will be
FIVE seminars of 3 hours each. You will be notified of the dates, times and
location of these seminars, together with the names and phone number of your
facilitator, as soon as you are allocated a seminar group.

myINSPIRE ONLINE DISCUSSION

Besides the face-to-face seminar sessions, you have the support of online
discussions. You should interact with other students and your facilitator using
myINSPIRE. Your contributions to the online discussion will greatly enhance
your understanding of the course content, how to go about doing the
assignments and preparation for the examination.

FACILITATOR
Your facilitator will mark your assignments and provide assistance to you during
the course. Do not hesitate to discuss during the seminar sessions or online if:
 You do not understand any part of the course content or the assigned
readings.
 You have difficulty with the self-tests and activities.
 You have a question or problem with the assignments.

LIBRARY RESOURCES
The Digital Library has a large collection of books and journals which you can
access using the student ID.

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LEARNER CONNEXXIONS
This is an online bulletin which provides interesting and relevant information to
help you along the programme. There are useful study hints and you can read
about the experiences of other distant learners.

HOW SHOULD YOU STUDY FOR THIS COURSE?

(a) Time Commitments for Study
You should plan to spend about 6-8 hours per topic, reading the notes,
doing the self-checks and activities and referring to the suggested readings.
You must schedule your time to discuss online. It is often more convenient
if you distribute the hours over a number of days rather than spend one
whole day per week to study.

Some topics may require more work than others, although on average, it is
suggested that you spend approximately three days per topic.

(b) Proposed Study Strategy

The following is a proposed strategy for working through the course. If you
run into any trouble, discuss it with your facilitator either online or during
the seminar sessions. Remember the facilitator is there to help you.

1. The most important step is to read the contents of this Course Guide
thoroughly.

2. Organise a study schedule. Note the time you are expected to spend on
each topic, date for submission of the assignments, seminars and
examination date. Details about the assignments are in the Course
Assignment Guide. Put all this information in one place, such as your
diary or a wall calendar. Whatever method you choose to use, you
should decide on and jot down your own dates for working on each
topic. You have some flexibility as there are 10 topics spread over a
period of 14 weeks.

3. Once you have created your own study schedule, make every effort to
'stick to itÊ. The main reason students are unable to cope is because they
get behind with their course work.

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4. To begin reading a topic:

 Remember in distance learning much of your time will be spent
READING the course content. Study the course map and examine
the relationship of the topic to the other nine topics.
 Read the newspaper report at the beginning and try to figure out
how it is connected to the topic.
 Read learning outcomes (what is expected of you). Do you already
know some of the things to be discussed? What are the things you
do not know?
 Read the introduction (see how it is connected with the previous
topic).
 Work through the topic. (The contents of the topic has been
arranged to provide a sequence for you to follow).
 As you work through the topic you will be asked to do the Self-
Check at appropriate points in the topic. This is to find out if you
understand what you have just read.
 Do the Activities (to see if you can apply the concepts learned to
real-world situations).
5. When you have completed the topic, review the learning outcomes to
confirm that you have achieved them and able to do what is required.

6. If you are confident, you can proceed to the next topic. Proceed topic by
topic through the course and try to pace your study so that you keep
yourself on schedule.

7. After completing all topics, review the course and prepare yourself for the
final examination. Check that you have achieved all topic learning
outcomes and the course objectives (listed in this Course Guide).

FINAL REMARKS
Once again; welcome to the course. To maximise your gain from this course you
should try at all times to relate what you are studying with the real-world. Look
at the curriculum materials used in your institution and ask yourself whether
they have been appropriately designed and implemented. What are the strengths
and weaknesses of curriculum efforts in your organisation? Do they need to be
revised or improved?

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Most of the ideas, concepts, principles and theories you learn in this course have
practical applications. It is important to realise that much of what we do in
education and training has to be based on sound theoretical foundations. The
contents of this course provide the principles for curriculum development
whether it is in a school, college, university or training organisation.

We wish you success with the course and hope that you will find it interesting,
useful and relevant towards your development as a professional. We hope you
enjoy your experience with OUM and we would like to end with this saying,
"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one", by Malcolm
Forbes.

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Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)